Black Women in American Music History

Beyoncé is one of the most well-known and appreciated Black women in music today, but to understand her work, we need to look at who came before her and what those women contributed to the story of Black women on stage. Listen to Season Two of the National Museum of American History's Collected podcast that looks at this history. Explore a selection of collection items from across the Smithsonian related to Black women in American music history.